"I don't want to jump the gun but I'm very confident" - Northern Ireland's Brendan Dolan & Josh Rock determined to bring home World Cup success

Northern Ireland has qualified for the last 16 of the 2024 World Cup of Darts on Friday. Josh Rock and Brendan Dolan won their second group match against Switzerland in Frankfurt to keep hopes of World Cup glory alive.

The 50-year-old Dolan has been an ever present for Northern Ireland at the World Cup of Darts. For this year, he has a new partner in the 23-year-old sensation, Rock. "We've messed around over the last few years and probably missed the boat a little bit. But hey, with this man's enthusiasm (points to Rock ed.) and vibrance, he's just bringing life to me!" Dolan says warmly in their post-match press conference.

"The first night, it went absolutely to plan and we won very comfortably 4-1. Tonight, we knew we only need two legs and as soon as we hit that double, we kind of switched off," Rock admits honestly. "We just knew we were into Saturday and that was the main thing."

Northern Ireland have never advanced beyond the semifinals at the World Cup of Darts in the past, last year they even went out in the group stage after duels with Ukraine and France. In Dolan and Rock however, the experience and youth could be a very dangerous dynamic for the rest of the tournament's challengers.

"The way he's power scored, he's taking pressure off me. And you know, I've messed up and I'm not playing totally well enough at the minute," Dolan assesses. "But I know I'm going to come good this weekend and that's just the feeling I have playing alongside him. I don't want to jump the gun but I'm very confident."

Northern Ireland will take on the home nation Germany in Frankfurt in the last 16 of the 2024 World Cup of Darts later today.